Flower holder for caskets



July 25, 195o F. E. GANO 2,516,379

FLOWER HOLDER FOR CASKETS Filed May 14, 1946 SMH.

FE zeGCUlO ation-eg Patented July 25 1950 UNITED s'rArssf PATEN'Ig OFFICE I 'l ,-.a51679 1:, HQLDER FOR A:CASKEIS 4 '.Floyd Eugene` Gann; Marietta, hio Applieation nay 1946,2se`rra1 No.' 669,696 f The present invention relates generally' to flower holders and more particularly to flower holders adapted for mounting onucasket covers to securely hold flower sprays thereon when the casketis being transported. i l

Heretofore, ower sprays madeup for funerals are usually placed on the top of th'ecasket cover without any means for holding vthem 'in' position. Unless some unobtrusive' and practcalfmeansis provided to hold the iiower sprays', they will'slide off the casket cover whenithe casket i'sbeing transportedby the pallbearers up' or down steps or when they are unable to carry' the casketonfa level keel. Also, unless a ower spray holderfis provided, the sprays maybe thrown off the" c'asket when it is being transported in the funeral coach or even blown off the casket when being moved by the pallbearers out of doors. Y

Accordingly, an objectof the present inven-` tion is to eliminate any of theforegoing diflicu'lties by providing a novel flower spray holder adapted to be quickly and securely mounted on the casket cover prior to transportationmor moving of the casket. y L

Another object is to providevas a newA article of manufacture a flower spray holdershaped to conform to the curve of acasket cover-'having yieldable movable jaw members adapted to lgrip the backbone ofthe spray and hold int-securely, until the jaws are moved apart.

A further general object consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangements of the several parts of my improved flower spray holder whereby certain important advantages are attained, and the device rendered simple to manufacture and use and otherwise more convenient and advantageous to use than prior flower spray holders for this purpose.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a general top perspective view of the novel ower spray holder attached to ,a casket cover with a spray of flowers held between the jaws of the holder;

Figure 2 is a top elevational view of the novel holder; and,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the holder showing a fragmentary section of a, casket to illustrate the novel attaching arrangement for novel spray holders.

Referring in detail to the one embodiment of the invention illustrated, the device comprises a base I which may be curved longitudinally so as to rest on the rounded contour of a casket top I I.

sciims. (Crais-27.8) f

Thebase IIJ is preferably provided with an antislip and cushioning material or covering Illy (Fig. 3) to prevent any sliding of the holder `overfthe vcasket cover II or any marring of the cover by vtothereby leave a smooth surface 2l! therebetween Fig; 3) on the base II) for `the spine or stems ofthe floral sprays to rest uponor between ,the ljaws hereinafterA to bedescribed. AThese blocks serve as bases'for similarly curved elongated jaw Aguide members 2 I, 22, 23, and 24 adapted .to be secured, as by bolts 25, to one of each of the blocks I6, I1, I8, and I9, respectively. Each guide member is provided with a flanged edge 21 .which overhangs the inner top longitudinal ,edge

surface of the respective block it is secured on, thereby defining parallel inwardly facing guide grooves between the under side of thefianged .edgeand aportion of theadjacent blocktop.

,*S'lidably mounted. in the guide grooves between each end pair of guides 2l, 22, and 23, 24 are jaw carrier blocks 32 and 33, respectively. From each longitudinal edge of the carrier blocks 32 and 33 are tongues 35, 36, and 31, 38, which are integrally formed and slightly curved, so as to engage within oppositely disposed grooves for movement over the base I0. The curve of the tongues 35, 36 and 31, 38 is slightly different from the curve of the blocks I6, I1, I 8, and I9, and the undersides of the overhanging flanged edges 21, so that toward the end of movement of each carrier block the surface of the tongues will bind between their respective anged edges 21 and the top of thev blocks IB, I1, I8, and I9, suiciently to stop the block movement at the end of its travel, and thus retain the same in the guide grooves.

Carrier block 32 has secured thereon a jaw IIB and carrier block 33 a jaw 4I, by means such as screws 42. These jaws 4Il and I4I are provided with teeth 44 and 45, respectively, and are made wedge shaped in cross section (Fig. 3) to level the jaws for proper alignment when gripping the stems of 'a oral spray. As shown, carrier block 32 and jaw 40 is slidable under the flanged edge 21, while block 33 may be adjustably fixed to its 3 flanged edges 21 by suitable means, such as thumb screws 48 threadable through aligned threaded openings 49 in the anged edges and the tongues 31 and 38 of the block 33. The inner facing ends I and 52, respectively of blocks 32 and 33 each contains a centrally disposed eye or loop 54 and 55 inter-connected by a yieldable member, such as a coiled spring 56, which normally biases the jaws to a closed or article gripping position. On the back or outside end of carrier. block 32`isza nger ring'or handle 58, which an operator may pull upon when he desires to separate the jaws 40 and 4l to release or receive a floral spray.

The entire assembly hereinbeforevdescr'ibedis provided with means such as strapstflooped through openings 6I and 62 at each endfofitlie base l0. These straps on theinfree endsaresef cured to plate-like hooks S3 having a flanged end 64 arranged to engage under the rimrofthe casket cover l l as shown in Figures 1 and 3.

As herein shown the strapsk arezmadefinctwo sectionsA and B, section A .having on itszendr'a buckle, andsection B carrying .the `hook 63 and .adjustablefthrough the buckle 65 atfthefother end. Thus, the securing straps 6B Amaygbe'ad- .justed to provide for positioning thehooks.-63 under `the rims ,of vany.-w'idth of casket cover.

In actual use the entire assembly isastrapped on the cover of the casket cover l` Il Aas `shown Aillith the hooks ..63 .under vthe cover, rim, andthe jaw'sAl adjusted and set andY lockedlforanydesiredposition by .manipulation ,of .the ,thumb .screws 48. After jawJ 4I. and its` carrier block .33

have thus been fixed, then .the .operatorY pulls on ,the Lspine of the spray to hold the same in place.

Thus, Awithout vfurther description, it vwill .be seenlthat there is .provided a novel improvement in iloral spray holders for caskets in which'` the other over the base, said jaws having oppositely aligned teeth, one of said jaws being normally xed with respect to the other, said jaws being mounted on carrier blocks with side flanges, guide means for each of said side anges to slide between, means mounted in said guide means adapted to engage the anges and lock the said block of the said normally fixed jaw in several desired fixed positions, an operating handle car- 'itiedr-bythe carrier block of the -movable jaw to `facilitate V pulling the same apart from the normally fixed jaw, a coiled spring connected to the r `cppositely facing ends of said carrier blocks several objectsof the invention are achieved, and

I claim:

1. A floral spray 4holder comprising, ,abase a pair of jawsmovable towardor: away from' each cadaptedlto-yieldably resist separation of the jaws,

and strap members secured to each end of the inbase'axd'having hooked end portions adapted to ,engage under ,the rim of a casket cover to thereby secure" the holder to the cover.

:2. 'floral spray holder, comprising a base, parallel spaced means on said base extending longitudinallyfthereofa pair of jaw. Vmembers slida- ,.blygmountedon the-basebetween the saidguide 4means adapted togrip thespin of afloralspray adapted to secure said holder .tothe cover 4of a basket.

. members slidably .mounted on. the .base-.between -the vsaid guide means .adaptedlto-gripthe spine ,of faforal spray therebetween, yieldable 4means .adapted .to .biassaid jawstogether into ygripping yposition, .and a. handle for .separating the said r3 5A jawscarriedbyone of said jaw members.

` Vl5'. EUGENE GANO.

@matrices @me .fThe following references are ofrecord inthe v111e :of this patent:

UNITED STATES :PAi'ILENTS Number Name Date 358,688 `Nassauer Mar. 1,1887 848,850 Pissahl Apr.` 2, 1907 ,1,727,325 Bninski' sept. 10, 1929 1,828,2419 vHammond Oct. 20, 1931 v11,884,370 'Swanson Oct. 25, 1932 `2,319,243 Livingston May 18, 1943 2,434,826 "Wubben JanjZO, 1948 

